Total diet replacement programmes are effective for treating obesity

Replacing food with a diet of soups, shakes and bars starting at 810 calories per day alongside regular sessions with a counsellor is a safe and clinically effective way to treat obesity in primary care, finds a study from Oxford University researchers. Total diet replacement programmes are not generally funded by the NHS in England but the authors of this study, published in the BMJ , suggest that there is now enough evidence for these programmes to be one of the treatments recommended for people who are obese. The randomised controlled trial involved 278 adults in Oxfordshire who were substantially overweight and interested in losing weight. Participants were either offered a referral to a low energy total diet replacement programme for 24 weeks or were enrolled into their GP practice's weight management programme, including advice and support to lose weight from a practice nurse. Participants on the total diet replacement programme were asked to reduce their intake to 810 calories a day by replacing all food with specially formulated soups, shakes and bars in addition to milk, water and fibre supplements. These diet replacement products, which are designed to be nutritionally complete, were offered for eight weeks, followed by a gradual re-introduction of conventional food over a further four weeks. Participants were invited to attend regular meetings with a trained counsellor to develop techniques to help them follow the diet and later maintain their weight loss.